Getting There: How I Planned to Travel Sustainably
This past summer, I embarked on a short trip to central Spain followed by a short journey through the Andalusian region of the country. In contrast to previous travels, I decided to put more attention on what I wanted to get out of this trip. I was not simply travelling to ‘see’ new places. Instead, I had the intention to gain a new perspective on what it looks like for me to travel sustainably, while also confronting on this trip my fears and anxieties of the possibility of getting lost in navigation.
Prior to leaving, I began to prepare like anyone who’d be making a cross-country trip. I looked at accommodation and mapped out transportation and I made sure I had the essentials, like copies of important documents, medicines, and sunscreen. I was not going to catch a flight anywhere, so I spent a lot of time mapping out train and bus routes. I looked for unique experiences outside of the main tourist attractions. I set up a budget that did not allow for souvenirs or eating out every day. After living in Spain for more than a year, I can sometimes spot what is an authentic experience and what is most likely a tourist trap. Therefore my preparation went beyond packing, and I did my diligent research in the form of a list of what was important for me to see.
As a writer for a company combating climate change, and an outsider seeking to build community and make connections in my new home, it was important to me that my travel combined sustainable and meaningful experiences that were outside of the typical touristic experience. As a result, I made a second list, one that mapped out how I was going to have this experience. At the time, I didn't know that the way I was planning my trip had components of “Slow Tourism”–the act of staying in a single destination for a minimum of one week, and connecting with the local people and culture while consciously cultivating meaningful experiences with what is available to you.
Normally, I would overpack for a summer trip down south to sunny, chic, Sevilla. I would get too excited dreaming about wearing the perfect outfit for the optimal occasion. Contrary to my daydreams, the reality is that the optimal occasion rarely happens when you’re traveling and you should prepare to be secure rather than stylish. Instead of throwing every ‘fit’ into my bag with the hope of wearing it, I put more attention on what I really would wear on any given day and what clothes were most easy to move around in.
The process of packing can actually be extremely powerful because you are making conscious choices about what you need and what you can live without. Small choices like these can help with bigger decisions during your trip. Less is more; five pairs of shoes is simply impractical. Looking back, even with the conscious effort to slim down my backpack, I still overpacked. In the meat of my trip I was wearing the same shorts and switching between the same three tops. Needless to say, a preoccupation on style still got the best of me. It is helpful, however, to keep in mind that most hostels have a laundry service, meaning it really is not necessary to pack a pair of socks for every day of travel. With that said, there is so much surprise and turn of events while traveling, so being OK with wearing the same pair of socks for a few days has to sit well with you.
Considering my sustainability goals, flying was not an option for me. Luckily, Spain and many other European countries have built and continue to advance their rail systems, making trains a comfortable and efficient option for travelers. I was looking for a sustainable alternative that also happened to be more economical for me. What’s more, the booking process is much simpler than airline systems. I experienced less of a headache preparing for the train than I usually do with a flight. To fly, you must show up to the airport two hours in advance, finagle your way through check-in, and leave your uneaten food at the gate, only to wait more time at the gate for the usual airline delay. To catch a train, you simply need to arrive before your scheduled departure and have your ticket scanned at the entrance. There are no food or beverage restrictions, no baggage checks, no closing gates.
In 2018, domestic air travel in Spain produced 2.8 million tonnes of carbon emissions with the average passenger emission at 61.58 kilograms of CO2 on domestic flights. The average domestic flight in Spain is under two hours. While planes are considered the fastest form of transportation, if you take into account time spent on getting to the airport followed by hours spent waiting for your flight, it adds up. This is valuable time that could have been used on savoring the final moments of your trip. Unlike airports that are typically located outside of the city, train stations are usually located in the center of a city. The walk, bike, or public transit to arrive at the station is an economical and sustainable option, as opposed to calling a taxi or paying for an uber. Not to mention the views on foot are better than by car.
Renfe is a high-speed rail in Spain that runs on certified green electricity. Green energy is categorized by the use of renewable energies, like wind and solar, to produce electricity and natural gas. The Spanish company is a leading consumer of renewable electricity in Spain and is set to reduce carbon emissions by more than 7 million tons in the entire rail network that Renfe operates by 2030. Speed trains like RENFE offer wifi and charging stations built into your seat. There is also a lounge room that passengers can access during the trip. As opposed to paying for internet and special amenities on a flight, these services are free of charge. Although the rail will not get you to your destination as fast as a plane, the journey you’re looking for is not meant to be fast. A core part of Slow Tourism is to move like a local. I can speak from personal experience that the average Spaniard is not flying from city to city and the reliance on public transportation is heavy. Again, we should ask ourselves, how do we want to experience traveling? What’s more important to us, destination or the journey?
The rail offers passengers a backstory to their destination. It’s like a prelude to a good book; it paints the landscape and offers clues to what to expect in the chapters that follow. Barren land, remote farms, the emblematic olive trees, every inch told a story that cannot be illustrated above the clouds. On the three hour journey from Barcelona to Madrid, I was surprised at how similar the views were to Texas. The sun baked almost everything into a golden brown and there were pockets of cattle feeding on pastures of dry grass. These were all images that led me to wonder what experiences I would have in Madrid. More curiosity sparked, and my research continued on the train as I looked for authentic gastronomical experiences, farm and vineyard visits, and other opportunities that would connect me to the land. I thought that by understanding the resources of the region, I could better understand the culture, which would lead me to better appreciate the meaningful experiences that I was hungry for.
The efficient rail systems in Spain helped me adhere to my sustainability goals to reduce my carbon emissions in transportation, but I realize that it is a privilege to have access to the rail. Not all countries, the United States included, have advanced train systems that function as cross-country travel options. Likewise, even if all countries had a rail, not all travelers would use it. For some, nothing beats the freedom of driving, and I understand. The road-trip experience is an experience in itself. For the climate conscious traveler, however, finding alternatives to driving that still accommodate the desire to have the windows down and music playing are not too far out of reach.
Options like BlaBlaCar, a community-based carpool system that connects drivers with passengers that are going in the same direction, are changing both the environmental and social impacts of driving. I learned about BlalBlaCar in my Spanish language textbook where I read about various experiences passengers had with the app. I decided to use BlaBlaCar to travel from Madrid to Seville. The entire process was simple; I set up a profile and connected with a driver that was making the same route as me. I shared my ride with two other passengers, practised speaking Spanish, and had intriguing conversations with people that I would have never met if it wasn’t for ride sharing.
Although I was aware of the positive environmental impact ridesharing has, it wasn't until further research that I learned in 2018 alone BlaBlaCar prevented 894,000 tonnes of CO2 emission between 22 countries. Its company mission is to make behavioral changes that go beyond using their app and transfer into carpooling opportunities within your own community. That said, an additional 673,000 tonnes of carbon emission was reduced indirectly from passengers who continued to use carpooling outside of BlaBlaCar.
BlaBlaCar is a great example of slow tourism in practice. Your travel is elongated in the car while a road-trip itself becomes an experience as you pass time with strangers and make surprisingly new connections. A study conducted by BlaBlaCar in 2018 found that 87% of riders declared to have had an enriching exchange while carpooling, while 47% recognised that carpooling made them more open to other cultures and opinions.
I don’t believe that slow tourism has all the answers to sustainable travel. However, looking back, it was the sustainability alternatives that made my travel much more meaningful, and that is what I am after on a trip: making meaningful connections with the places that I visit. Although I planned for more sustainable alternatives, some did not happen, and that’s ok. Traveling is not perfect, but that is what makes it exciting. If anything, I’ve learned to drop unrealistic expectations, to be in the moment, to appreciate the journey as much as the destination. In doing so, I have found a wealth of meaning. More so, I have found meaning while reducing my impact on the environment.
